<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><p><font color="#000000" face="Bookman Old Style,Times New Roman,serif" size="3">This morning the docs’ dawn patrol looked and poked and said, “Well, would you
like to go home today?” About eight hours later, I was comfortably curled into
my overstuffed recliner, watching the winter sun play through the backyard magnolia.
<br> It’s not my favorite tree in the world, since at night it cuts off about a
third of the sky. But it is a thing of beauty and purpose, and this time of
year, when it glows in the warm sunshine and sways in the southern breeze, I
can temporarily forgive its nocturnal obstructionism.
</font></p><p><font color="#000000" face="Bookman Old Style,Times New Roman,serif" size="3">I’m not too comfortable, since after all I have had a bunch of people pulling
out my guts and making comments (thinking that I was asleep, the fools!) --
but all things considered, I’m doing great! Gay had me checked out of the joint
by lunchtime and we went to our traditional post-VA feeding trough, the Steak
& Shake. I had most of a strawberry milkshake and a BLT, both heavenly after
hospital fare. They settled pretty well.
</font></p><p><font color="#000000" face="Bookman Old Style,Times New Roman,serif" size="3">The next few days will be a lot of rest and a little oxycodin. Doc says I can
eat anything, and I will look forward to getting back into the kitchen tomorrow.
<br> Little energy for that tonight, but fortunately niece Lore’s husband Tim made a casserole
of his expert mac and cheese. Comfort food.
</font></p><p><font color="#000000" face="Bookman Old Style,Times New Roman,serif" size="3">Weather looks like it will be mostly clear before midnight thunderstorms. So
I should be able to peek around with my glorious new 31-mm. eyepiece. Pound
for pound, it cost more than a Ferrari. But it will take you farther.
</font></p><p><font color="#000000" face="Bookman Old Style,Times New Roman,serif" size="3">Joe </font></p></body></html>